Roblox CEO: Fast to Block Whistleblowers, Slow to Ban Predators

Imagine exposing six predators preying on kids in a virtual world, only to get slapped with a ban and a cease-and-desist by the very platform you were trying to clean up. That’s exactly what happened to 22-year-old Michael, better known as @RealSchlep, a YouTuber who took on Roblox’s dark underbelly. His crime? Catching creeps in the act and turning evidence over to police. Roblox, a gaming giant loved by millions of kids, says he broke their rules. Fans are rallying with #FreeSchlep, calling him a hero. But is Schlep a courageous whistleblower exposing Roblox’s safety failures, or a vigilante playing a dangerous game?

Schlep’s Story: A Mission Born from Trauma

Michael, known as Schlep (@RealSchlep), is a 22-year-old YouTuber from Georgia who’s turned his pain into a crusade against predators on Roblox. Born August 3, 2002, he started creating content on YouTube in 2021, amassing over 500k subscribers on his channel, schelp.tv, with commentary on Roblox’s darker corners. His mission stems from a harrowing childhood experience: as an 8-year-old, he was groomed by a popular Roblox developer who exposed him to gore and explicit content. The trauma led to a suicide attempt, and when his mother reported it to Roblox, they brushed her off, offering only crisis hotline links. The predator continued abusing others for years.

Driven by this, Schlep began sting operations, posing as a minor to catch predators, often moving chats to Discord to gather evidence. He claims his work led to six arrests, with evidence handed to police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Yet, Roblox banned him on August 10, 2025, accusing him of “simulated child endangerment conversations” and sharing personal info. Schlep insists he avoids entrapment, letting predators initiate explicit talk, and reports them through Roblox’s moderation system—only to see inaction until his videos go viral. He’s called out Roblox’s leadership, including CEO David Baszucki, who blocked him on X, and criticized games like Public Bathroom Simulator for enabling “lollicons and MAPs.” His plea: share his story to protect kids.

Roblox’s Crackdown: A Ban That Sparked Outrage

On August 10, 2025, Roblox dropped the hammer on Schlep (@RealSchlep), banning all his accounts and issuing a cease-and-desist letter that threatened legal action. The gaming giant accused the 22-year-old YouTuber of violating their Terms of Use and Community Standards through “simulated child endangerment conversations,” “soliciting or sharing personally identifiable information,” and “encouraging users to move conversations off-platform” to Discord for evidence collection. Roblox claimed Schlep’s sting operations, despite leading to six predator arrests, bypassed their safety systems and “increased risks to users” by undermining official investigations. They emphasized their 24/7 moderation and law enforcement partnerships, insisting vigilante tactics interfere with proper channels.

Schlep fired back on his YouTube channel, schelp.tv, calling the ban a betrayal. He argued he reported predators through Roblox’s moderation ticket system, providing Google Drive evidence also shared with police, yet saw no action until his videos went viral. He highlighted cases like “Nepali Incel,” who made threats on Roblox but wasn’t banned despite Schlep’s reports to Roblox and the FBI. Schlep insists Roblox only acts under public pressure, citing their CEO blocking him on X. Fans have rallied with #FreeSchlep, accusing Roblox of silencing a whistleblower to protect their image amid lawsuits exposing platform safety failures.

"Think about this for a second: David Baszucki, Roblox's CEO worth over $4 billion, took time out of his day to personally BLOCK a 22-year-old who was catching child predators on his platform. Not block the predators - block the guy catching them.

Let that sink in. The man running a platform used by 200 million kids couldn't be bothered to respond to reports about predators, but he damn sure found the time to silence the person exposing them. Baszucki's finger moved faster to hit 'block' on Schlep than his company moved to ban actual predators threatening children.

What does it tell you about a CEO's priorities when he blocks whistleblowers but not child abusers? When he'll engage with critics by silencing them rather than fixing the problems they're exposing? David Baszucki's block button works perfectly - his predator detection doesn't."

The Bigger Issue: Roblox’s Safety Gaps Under Fire

Roblox markets itself as a safe haven for kids, but a wave of lawsuits and alarming stats paint a darker picture. Over 250 lawsuits, including high-profile cases in Iowa and California, accuse the platform of enabling predators through lax safety measures. In Iowa, a 13-year-old girl was groomed via Roblox’s chat system, kidnapped from her West Des Moines home on May 24, 2025, and trafficked across states, suffering repeated sexual abuse. The lawsuit, filed July 29, 2025, claims Roblox’s lack of age verification and poor moderation created a “digital hunting ground.”

A California case echoes this, alleging a 10-year-old was raped after meeting a predator on Roblox. Reports of suspected child exploitation skyrocketed from 700 in 2019 to 13,000 in 2023, per the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Leaked internal Roblox discussions reveal employees flagged safety concerns, only to be overruled to prioritize user engagement. Critics, including cybersecurity expert Doug Jacobson, argue Roblox’s anonymity and weak parental controls make it a predator’s playground. Despite Roblox’s claims of 24/7 moderation and new AI tools like Sentinel, lawsuits assert these are too little, too late. With #BoycottRoblox gaining traction, the question looms: Is Roblox ignoring systemic flaws to protect profits?

Public Reaction: Fans Rally, Accusing Roblox of Silencing a Hero

The ban of @RealSchlep has ignited a firestorm online, with fans and activists rallying under #FreeSchlep and #BoycottRoblox. On X, thousands of posts call Schlep a hero for exposing predators, accusing Roblox of protecting its image over kids’ safety. One viral sentiment captures the outrage: “Roblox bans the guy catching creeps but lets predators roam until videos go viral.” TikTok creators have amplified the movement, with #FreeSchlep videos hitting millions of views, some urging parents to delete the app.

Supporters point to Schlep’s six arrests as proof he’s doing Roblox’s job, while the platform’s inaction—ignoring his reports until public pressure mounts—fuels distrust. Critics on X highlight Roblox’s history of brushing off safety concerns, with one user noting, “They blocked Schlep but not the ‘lollicons’ he reported.” The backlash dovetails with lawsuits exposing systemic flaws, amplifying calls for accountability. Roblox’s response—touting AI moderation and law enforcement ties—hasn’t quelled the uproar, as fans demand Schlep’s ban be lifted and safety overhauled. The movement’s momentum suggests Roblox faces a growing PR crisis, with parents and players questioning if the platform prioritizes profits over protection.

What’s Next? A Call for Action Amid Roblox’s Reckoning

As #FreeSchlep and #BoycottRoblox trends surge, the pressure is on Roblox to address its safety crisis. Parents can act now: enable Roblox’s parental controls to disable chat, limit avatar interactions, and set playtime restrictions via the app’s settings. Checking kids’ friend lists and reporting suspicious accounts to Roblox’s moderation portal is crucial, though Schlep’s case suggests reports may languish without public outcry. Advocates urge families to join the boycott, deleting accounts until Roblox strengthens age verification and bans predatory games like Public Bathroom Simulator. Lawmakers are circling, with calls for federal oversight growing after 250+ lawsuits exposed Ascendancy lawsuits expose Roblox’s failures, from Iowa’s kidnapped teen to California’s horrific case. Schlep’s ban for catching six predators has only fueled demands for accountability. Roblox insists its AI-driven Sentinel system and law enforcement ties suffice, but leaked internal debates reveal profit-driven resistance to safety reforms. With 13,000 exploitation reports in 2023, half-measures won’t cut it. Will Roblox overhaul its platform to protect kids, or will vigilantes like Schlep continue filling the void?